We ran into this gate on one of our many road trips from California to Utah. It’s decorated with sun-bleached antlers formerly belonging to deer and elk. Antler art is huge in the West and especially in eastern Nevada. I believe these gates lead to a camping ground because in the distance we could see Wheeler Peak, the highest mountain in Great Basin, a national park which runs along the Nevada and Utah border.
We had just passed Major’s Place, one of the last places to get a beer before heading into the Mormon stronghold of Utah.
This is the town of Major’s Place – just one building which is of course a bar.
As you can see the antler theme prevails here as well. It’s easy to miss Major’s Place as you speed along the highway, however if you do happen to spot it and stop, beyond the doors you’ll find more antler art, antler furniture and antler lamps. In that part of the world you just can’t overdecorate with antlers.
This guy got to keep his antlers probably because he looks like a dude you wouldn’t want to mess with.
I stole the bottom two images from Stay on Route 6, a website devoted to exploring the longest contiguous transcontinental route in the USA. Highway 6 is also known as the “Grand Army of the Republic Army” because it passes through many historic sites dating from the Revolutionary War. We didn’t go into Major’s Station as it was closed and it’s beyond foolhardy to trespass in eastern Nevada. You could end up in the ground and not in the slammer. Those folks love their guns
From Antler Art
Check out other doors over at Norm Frampton’s Thursday Doors shindig.
Love it!
Someone should tell that deer that smoking can kill…wait, he’s already what? 😉
I’m pretty sure he didn’t die from lung cancer!
A very en-deering post this week, Jan. 😉
Haha! Thanks for my morning laugh!
Interesting Antler-door-art! What fun! Looks like Nevada is the place to go for shady, smoking deer!
Haha! You see all sorts of quirky things in that part of the world!
Fun post Jan. You do a good job of sharing the essence of the west here, and I especially like all the antler art. I love the Great Basin.
It is amazing to come upon that area after driving across Nevada – most of which is flat desert land. The Ruby Mountains just east of Elko are also quite beautiful.
At least someone had some fun with this, albeit, not the deer.
Animal rights folks are pretty much in the minority (to say the least) in most of Nevada. When I lived there (many eons ago) you’d be treated better if you said you were an ax murderer than if you said you were a vegetarian!
That’s a huge lot of antlers. I don’t think that the deer were killed to get all these antlers. Looks a little creepy though 🙂
I’m afraid hunting and fishing are almost sacred activities in that part of the state. Poor deer. : (
The deer shed their antlers every year. I always wanted to find a pair, but it never happened 🙂
I hope the hunting is monitored. Management of the deer population is necessary for their own sake. They don’t have enough predators these days. This might sound disturbing, but it is all based on research. I don’t think that government would allow uncontrolled hunting. Or am I wrong?
You’re right. I’d forgotten about that. The rules for hunting in that part of Nevada are very lax but there are probably ten times as many deer as humans living there.
We have just a handful of deer, but the poachers get them now and then. Just recently a friend had found a doe head on his property. This is what I do hate 😦
Fabulous!
Thanks!
Major’s Place seems like a wonderful place to drink a beer… the kind of place we are used to find in movies, I´d say… Great post, dear Jan… I hope that you enjoyed the trip. 🙂
All the best to you!, Aquileana 😀
It’s an interesting trip but I’ve taken it too many times!
That must be an awful lot of antlers to create a gate like that. We have plenty of deer around here in the Blue Ridge Mountains. You have to be on the look out when driving lest they run in front of your car. But I almost only see does and spotted fawns, rarely a buck.
The Blue Ridge Mts are so beautiful – you’re a lucky gal!
Gotta do something with all the antlers that fall off each year. I’ve seen some gorgeous lamps made from antlers.
janet
Every time I see antler art I’m reminded of the arch that’s in Jackson Hole Wyoming. My dad has all of his big elk racks hanging in his garage, but he’s never made anything artsy out of them. Then there’s my uncle, who ordered a stuffed deer head on eBay to hang in his new Montana home when he moved up from Texas. Needless to say, my dad and uncle do not get along.
Sorry to hear about the family discord. We have a cousin who’s a big game hunter and there are certain family members who won’t even talk to him.